Building construction



Oct. 12, 41937. M. cALKlNs ET Al.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed March 15, 1936 mfens; www

35i-BMW ornevs Patented Oct. 12, 1937 UNITED STATES BUILDINGCONSTRUCTION Raymond M. Calkins, Deerfield, and James W. Swank, Chicago,lll.

Application March 13, 1936, Serial No. 68,632

4 Claims.

Our invention relates to building construction and it has for its objectthe provision of a new and improved form and arrangement of parts in astructure made up of sheet steel or other suitable sheet materialwhereby an improved joint is provided between the adjacent panels makingup the structure for use in a roof, a ceiling, a side wall, or otherpart of a, building. In

a structure of this type which is subject in many cases to almost dailytemperature changes through fairly wide ranges, with the consequentsubstantial opening and closing of the joint by reason of contractionand expansioruwe have found it diiiicult to provide asatisfactory jointby the methods heretofore in use. It is the object of our invention toprovide an improved arrangement by which a tight joint may be providedinitially and by which expansion and contraction may be taken care ofsatisfactorily so as to enable the joint to remain permanently tight andeffective.

It is one of the objects of our invention to provide a structure of thistype which may be produced readily and cheaply upon a commercial basisand which can be assembled into its i'lnal operative form withoutdiiiculty. It is another object of our invention to provide a structureof this type so arranged that the joint itself shall be protected ascompletely as possible from the weather.

It is another object of our invention to irnprove building constructionof this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out. 'I'he preferredmeans by which we have accomplished our several objects are illustratedin the accompanying drawing and are hereinafter specifically described.That which we believe to be new and desire to cover by Letters Patent isset forth in the claims.

In the drawing,-

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a building formed of steelpanels and embodying our improved construction;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially at the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view showing our improved joint stripremoved from the cooperating parts.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawing in whichcorresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, I Ilindlcates a foundation of any suitable type upon which is secured a baseangle I I longitudinally thereof. As is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2,a plurality of panels I2, I3 and I4 are mounted upon the base angle IIwith their body portions in alignment with each other. In our improvedarrangement (see Fig. 2), the body portion of each of the panels is bentalong longitudinal lines at each side edge of lthe body portion to Cn Aprovide a, series of ange portions by which the panels are securedtogether in the desired cooperative relation. Such structure at onesideof the body portion of each panel comprises a flange portion I5 which isbent into acute angle relationship to the body portion,l a ange portionIB which is substantially parallel with the body portion, a flangeportion I'I which is substantially perpendicular to the body portion andwhich extends backwardly some little distance beyond the body portion,and flange portions I8, I9 and 2l) each of which is bent at right anglesto its adjacent ange portion so as to provide a box-like formation inrear of the body of the panel. At the opposite edge of each of thepanels, a flange 2l in acute angle relation to the body portion isprovided, joined to the next adjacent flange Vportion 22 parallel withthe body portion, with flange portions 23, 24 and 25 bent each at rightangles to the connected flange portion to form a box-like structure of asize to receive snugly the inside box-like arrangement of the adjacentpanel. 'I'he arrangement is such that an undercut shoulder is providedadjacent to the edge of each of the panels at each side of the panel,with such undercut shoulders facingl away from the adjacent edge, theflange portions I1 and 23 being of such size as to cause the front faceportions 22 and I6 of the undercut shoulder structures to stand inalignment with each other when the adjacent intertting boxes are securedin cooperative relation. In the arrangement shown, the intertting boxesof the panels are clamped firmly together by means of hook bolts 26which engage the edge portions of the anges 20 and 25 so as to draw themtightly toward the vertical portion of the angle bar II. In thearrangement shown in Fig. 1, similar hook bolts 2'I are provided at theupper ends of the panels for securing the panels to the verticallydisposed plate portion 28 of an angle bar 29 resting upon the upper endsof the panels.

For holding the panels I2, I3, and I4 in operative relation to eachother so as to secure an effective closure of the joint between thepanels, we have provided a clamping device in the form of a channelformed of sheet metal cut in the form of a strip and bent longitudinallyto provide a body portion 30 and a series of flanges at each side. Inthe arrangement shown, a side ange portion 3| is provided at rightangles to the body portion 30 at each side edge thereof, with a flangeportion 32 formed with the ilange 3| and at right angles thereto, andwith a iiangeV portion 33 formed with the flange 32 and standing in thesame angular relation to said flange 32 as the angular relation betweenthefiange portion I5 and the body portion I 4 of the panel structure.After the panels have been secured in position as shown in Fig. 2, oneof the channel members is secured in position in engagement with theundercut shoulder structures,such channel member being connected withthe shoulders either by being slid longitudinally into engagementtherewith from one end or by being sprung into position without suchlongitudinal movement. In the arrangement shown, the flanges 33 haveface to face engagement with the flanges l5 and 2|, and the flanges 32of the channel structure have face to face engagement with the bodyportions of the panels. In the arrangement as shown, the cut edgeportions of the sheet metal forming the channel member are folded in soas to be protected by the channel. In the preferred arrangement, thechannel is provided along each edge portion with a quantity of caulkingmaterial as indicated at 34 in Fig. 3.

With the parts connected in the arrangement as shown in Fig. 2, thepanels are held securely in edge to edge engagement with each other bythe channel members so as to keep the joint between the panelseffectively closed for preventing the passage ,of rain therethrough.'I'he arrangement is such that the panels are adapted to expand orcontract as may be necessary from the normal arrangement as shown in thedrawing, such expansion or contraction having no appreciable tendency toloosen the joint, since the metal is adapted to yield against its ownresiliency for permitting the changed relative positions of the parts.

In the arrangement shown, the roof structure has the same arrangement asthat shown and described in connection with the side wall. The showingupon the section line 2er-2a through the roof structure in Fig. 1corresponds to Fig. 2 of the drawing, except that a frame bar 29 isconnected with the panels in the roof in lieu of the angle bar Il asshown in said Fig. 2. I

While We prefer to employ the arrangement as shown in our drawing, it isto be understood that our invention is not to be restricted to thearrangement shown except so far as it may be so restricted in terms inthe narrower claims. It will be understood that changes in the form andarrangement may well be made without departure from our invention.

We claim:-

1. In a building construction, the combination of two panels of sheetmaterial secured firmly in position side by side in alignment with eachother by means comprising inwardly extending flange portions in faceengagement with each other at right angles to the body portions of thepanels, flange portions formed integrally with said inwardly extendingflange portions and positioned substantially parallel with the bodyportions, and obliquely disposed flange portions formed integrally withboth the parallel positioned flanges and the body portions andpositioned in acute angled relation to said body portions so as toprovide undercut shoulders adjacent to the edges of the panels, and asheet metal channel with its web portion in face engagement with saidparallel positioned flange portions of the panels and with its legsengaging both the outer faces of the body portions and the undercutfaces of said obliquely disposed flange portions of the panels forholding the panels rmly together with the joint between the panelseffectively closed.

2. In a building construction, the combination of two panels of sheetmaterial secured rmly in position side by side in alignment with eachother by means comprising inwardly extending flange portions in faceengagement with each other at right angles to the body portions of thepanels, flange portions formed integrally with said inwardly extendingflange portions andpositioned substantially parallel with the bodyportions, and obliquely disposed flange portions formed integrally withboth the parallel positioned flanges and the body portions andpositioned in acute angled relation to said body portions so as toprovide undercut shoulders adjacent to the edges of the panels, and asheet metal channel compris ing a web portion in face engagement withsaid parallel positioned flange portions of the panels and leg portionsat opposite side edges each comprising a side flange portionsubstantially perpendicular to said web portion, an inwardly turnedflange portion formed integrally with said side flange portion andhaving face engagement with the body portion of the` adjacent panel, andan obliquely positioned flange portion formed integrally with theinwardly turned flange portion and having face engagement with theobliquely positioned flange portion of the panel whereby ,said panelsare held firmly together with the joint between them effectively closed.

3. In a building construction, the combination of two panels of sheetmaterial secured rmly in position side by side in alignment with eachother by means comprising inwardly extending flange portions in faceengagement with each other at right angles to the body portions of thepanels, obliquely disposed flange portions formed integrally with thebody portions of the panels in acute angled relation thereto so as toprovide undercut shoulders adjacent to the edges of said boch! portions,and other flange portions formed integrally with both said inwardlyextending flange portions and said obliquely disposed flange portions,and a sheet metal channel member comprising an intermediate web portioncovering the joint between the panels, side flange portions carried bysaid intermediate web portion in angular relation thereto, and otherflange portions connected with said side flange portions in obliqueposition with respect to the body portions of the panels and adapted byengagement with the undercut shoulders of thev panels to hold the panelsyieldingly together.

4. In a building construction, the combination of two panels of sheetmaterial secured firmly in position side by side in alignment with eachother by means comprising inwardly extending flange portions in faceengagement with each other at right angles to the body portions of thepanels, obliquely disposed flange portions formed integrally with thebody portions of the panels in acute angled relation thereto so as toprovide undercut shoulders adjacent to the edges of said body portions,and other flange portions formed integrally with both said inwardlyextending flange portions and said obliquely disposed flange portions,and a sheet metal channel member comprising flange portions extendinginwardly toward each other from opposite sides of the intermediate webportion of the member, and other flange portions formed integrally withsuch inwardly extending flange portions in spaced relation to saidintermediate web portion and in oblique position with respect to thebody portions of the panels adapted by engagement with the undercutshoulders of the panels to hold the panels yieldingly together.

RAYMOND M. CALKINS. JAMES W. SWANK.

